


All that glitters is not gold

by lisura



Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Movies), Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Drama, F/M, Family, Fluff, Love, Nobility, Politics, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-05-16 11:47:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19317547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lisura/pseuds/lisura
Summary: After King Nain's death in Archenland, Caspian negotiates the union under Narnia's crown to avert a looming civil war and protect the country from Calormen. Soon it is made a requirement that the King marries the daughter of the Grand Duchess and Caspian's life is turned upside down.





	1. Anvard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, welcome to my Fanfiction!
> 
> This story is going to be about Caspian's life a couple of years after the events of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, ups and downs ahead, and please don't worry, starting from Chapter 2, our favorite Telmarine King will play an active part instead of only being mentioned ;)
> 
> Disclaimer, as usual: I don't own any of the characters that are familiar to you, nor the beautiful Narnian universe.
> 
> If you're still interested, let's go through the wardrobe and prepare a King's visit in Anvard, shall we?

"Seriously?"

Amused, but with an incredulous smile on her face, Ria looked at her older sister, then back at her mother. The question echoed through the huge dining room until unpleasant silence followed. With a much lower voice she added, "Jhara, she can't be serious, right? That's impossible…"

Her sister's shrug was enough to silence her. Apparently their mother _was_ being serious. They would indeed accommodate the King of Narnia, Caspian X, within the next few days, perhaps weeks, even though their current residency, an old hunting lodge in the north east of Anvard, did not seem very suitable for the occasion.

"You want to welcome him here?"

A little suspiciously, Ria let her gaze wander from one end of the room to the other. But not even she could help but notice that their current home, more or less improvised, was hardly adequate to house a King. Although the staff tried to keep the lodge in good condition, the rather rural character and the old-fashioned construction could not be denied. In no way could their current home be compared to the castle of Telmar, let alone Cair Paravel. Even Ria and her sister felt uncomfortable. The rooms seemed gloomy and cold even in bright sunshine. High ceilings with lots of stuccowork, a shabby patio and the outlying pavilion offered a touch of romance, but that was it.

An indignant snort made Ria realize that the Grand Duchess, her mother, was irritated. Ria was her youngest daughter and had just turned eighteen. She insisted on believing that this had to be the reason for her inappropriate naivety. But that was just who Ria was, vivid and headstrong. Her sister Jhara was quite different, even though she was only two years older - she was responsible. And Ria would also have to be, some day. As soon as she had Jhara's wedding arranged, the younger one would also have to come to her senses.

With a remarkably intimidating look on her face, Aláseya circled the heavy wooden table of the dining room. "I really hate to remind you, my dear Taliah," she said and deliberately used Ria's real name to make sure her daughter knew how serious the situation was, "but we are in the midst of a civil war!"

Their mother's reminder was unnecessary, the sisters knew that all too well. Ria was still haunted by the scenes she had witnessed night after night whenever she looked out of her window in their mansion in the heart of Anvard. Children crying in the streets looking for their mothers, thieves benefiting from the chaos, angry people brutally fighting each other… It was unbearable to see the misery the unrest caused, and therefore none of the sisters objected to leaving the city center at the time. The riots had begun to frighten Aláseya - the mere presence of nobility seemed to infuriate the people even more and so they decided to, at least for a while, stay in their family's hunting lodge on the outskirts of Anvard.

"The old town is burning, and so is the palace," Aláseya went on. "So if I, as Grand Duchess, have the privilege to welcome the King of Narnia, who may be able to make peace again, I will gladly do so - even here! And you should be honored, too! If your father had heard you speak like that…"

Jhara rolled her eyes and sighed. "Then he would have laughed and agreed with her. This place is safe, and we're thankful for it, but it's also quite eerie."

Jhara was used to defending her little sister. For Aláseya, life was all about public reputation, responsibility and duty. _Noblesse oblige_ , as she liked to say. And Jhara was forced to bow to it, but she wanted Ria to be left in peace. It was bad enough for one of them to be treated as a political means, being forced to marry an aristocrat for the benefit of the family…

"Well," Aláseya crossed her arms, glaring at Ria again. "Eerie and lacking of pomp is all we can offer. Even if you don't like it, I highly doubt there is only one person in Anvard that would not wish to live here. So mind your words - you should be ashamed of yourself!"

Since the death of her husband a few years ago, Aláseya had rarely ever been in a good mood. And that Ria was grateful for their home, even though it did not necessarily mean she felt comfortable in it, was out of the question. But King Nain's death, only a couple of weeks ago, had changed their lives abruptly. He had left no children, and so his last will insisted that all aristocratic nobility - no matter their rank - should come together to appoint his succession. It had to be a person of royal blood, without one dissentient vote. Quite a struggle, as it soon turned out. It made the country look much weaker than it actually was. To avoid an immediate attack from Calormen, a peace treaty was made - which was nothing more than danegeld of people's taxes to ensure that the frontier areas had nothing to fear from the South. But the temporarily leading monarchs had to realize soon that additional expenses such as these made their financial resources dwindle faster than they had expected. Government debt, however, was to be avoided at all costs, so the majority of the nobles believed that an union with the kingdom of Narnia might be their best option. Lively discussions in small taverns soon led to bloody street fights and probably the worst civil war Archenland had ever seen. Some people proudly believed that Narnia's help was not at all required and that Archenland had always been on its own, while others pragmatically kept the financial and military benefits of an union in mind.

"I gather you have nothing else to complain about? Fine!" Aláseya snapped. "Because I'm busy, as you can imagine, and you'll have to kindly excuse me…"

Their mother left the room in a funny haste - much to Ria's delight. She took a deep breath as she felt Jhara pat her back.

"Don't feel bad," Jhara grinned. "I believe our residency is shabby, too. Do you think the King's eyes will widen when he arrives?"

"Why?" Ria giggled. "Who would mind rats in the cellar, right?"

"Oh, the rats," Jhara sighed. "But there is hope - Caspian is said to be very charming. If he compliments the landscape once or twice, mother will be perfectly satisfied."

That was exactly why Ria loved her bigger sister so much. She understood her no matter what and she always made her laugh. She was a perfect example of discipline and good behavior in many ways, but above all, Jhara had a good heart, and great humor.

"It would be a blessing if he pretended to like it here," Ria bit her lips, "I don't want to imagine Mother's mood if he doesn't…"

Jhara grimaced and nodded, then she started to head to the lodge's entrance. "Oh, erm… Do you think anyone would notice if I snuck out for an hour or two?"

Ria was fairly surprised to hear a question like that from her sister who usually kept her duties in mind religiously. Ria shook her head anyway. "Well, no, I don't think so, but - "

"Very good, see you later!"

With a big smile on her face, Jhara put on a night blue cloak, right about to leave.

"Wait! Where do you want to go?" Ria stepped in her way. She was right to be concerned, it was already getting dark outside, and therefore not the best time to leave the house, considering Anvard nightly riots.

"Oh, come on, you know exactly where I want to go," Jhara winked. "I told you all about Dylan!"

"Yes, sure. But… he lives in the old town."

Jhara nodded impatiently and explained, "He wrote so many letters, he wants to see me."

"Why isn't he coming here?" Ria tried to whisper. "You know it's way too dangerous to be in the city center by night, don't you?"

"Ria, he can't be seen around here - our mother would kill him! She's been talking about my wedding with Diorn for weeks…"

It was true. The Grand Duchess had already rejected several proposals. No one was good enough for her eldest daughter until Margrave Diorn had asked for permission to marry Jhara. He must have impressed her a lot, because not only did she agree to let him marry her without Jhara's consent, she also went on and on about the great opportunities of their union, trying to convince her daughter that love was not important at all. And maybe she would have believed it not long ago. But Dylan had entered her life unexpectedly, and she loved him for sure. The mere thought of losing him after her wedding was painful.

"I don't have much time left with him, don't you understand?" Jhara said, almost in tears. She looked down to hide her face and heard Ria take a deep breath.

"Alright," she said, "I'm coming with you."

"What? No, you're not! You've just said it yourself, it's dangerous! No way, I'm responsible for you."

"So am I for you," Ria smiled. "Don't worry, I won't be sitting right next to you…"

Jhara really wanted to refuse, but then again, what could go wrong? Instead of answering, she handed her sister another cloak and shrugged.

"I still think it's a bad idea, just for the records," Ria said, following Jhara to the door.

There were no housekeepers to be seen and no guards were patrolling. Their trip back would be much more difficult, but it was not time to worry about that yet.

The hunting lodge was located on a huge property, one could almost speak of a park, surrounded by an ornately decorated iron fence. It did not take long to ride to the capital, so Jhara and Ria headed to the stables behind the lodge. The two sisters were able to sneak in easily and quickly, and without attracting anyone's attention, they saddled the horse that was most used to both of them, Lestate. As dusk threatened to set in, they rode straight through the main gate. It was risky but quick, and it worked.

"You've been stealing away for months, haven't you? Mother has no idea. That's brilliant!"

Jhara could not help but smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case you're interested in looking at some of the stuff that served me as an inspiration (characters, locations, gowns etc.), you can look up this story's board on Pinterest. Just search for 'lasdalias' as a person and check out 'All that glitters is not gold'.


	2. The Chronicles

As they finally approached Anvard, the country's capital did not shine in half its former glory. How could the people of one and the same folk be so divided in their opinion? Even in the distance, the result of countless riots and fires was visible. Collapsed roofs and wads of smoke were silent witnesses of the current turmoils. In the old town, the heart of Anvard, the chaos of broken windows, doors and damaged property was distressing. The musty smell of destruction and rotting filth could not be denied and got worse by the day. At that, it hurt every proud man and woman from Anvard to see the majestic palace in the abandoned state it was in. Had Nain guessed that Archenland was going to be shattered like this, he would surely have stated his last will differently.

"We're almost there," Jhara rejoiced as they arrived at Dylan's quarter.

The streets were getting narrow, which made it impossible to ride on. They carefully tied Lestate to a peg and Jhara pulled out some apples from the saddlebag. She spread them on a small piece of cloth and patted Lestate on the back.

"When did you think of the apples?" Ria wondered.

"If you'd helped me more with saddling, you'd know."

The girls moved on through the darkness of the streets swiftly. Only a couple of old lanterns lit their way. Curtains and shutters had been closed everywhere and it almost felt as though no soul lived there at all. Only in one building, the expansive windows in the front area were dimly lit. They could see well into the tavern and the closer they came, the more muffled voices they could hear.

"That's the place I meant, over there." Jhara looked at her sister as if she had just turned four and pointed to the entrance. "Why don't you spend an hour or two in there? I know the innkeeper, he's really nice, and we wouldn't be far apart. Dylan lives right here, across the street."

Ria nodded as Jhara rummaged around in the saddlebag for a leather-bound book.

"You've always wanted to read this and never found the time, right? But I'm warning you, it's rather boring - you'll see."

When Ria took the heavy book, all about Narnian history and folk tales, she grinned and hugged her sister.

She could almost hear Jhara's heart beating fast as she passed the heavy wooden door of Dylan's house. Ria knew how much her sister loved him, and yet she herself did not know anything about love. But since she had to expect to be married to someone she probably did not like anyway, she had no intention of losing her heart to anyone.

She barely noticed the light rain as she crossed the deserted street with her head full of thoughts and timidly entered the tavern. She hoped to spend most of the evening unnoticed. But as it was so quiet inside, almost everyone turned around and looked at her. Some men were sitting at the bar, some had made themselves comfortable at tables.

Ria forced a smile. "Gentlemen!" she acknowledged them politely and relaxed when most of them did not pay any further attention.

And as the tall, chubby man behind the bar finally turned his gaze to Ria, the innkeeper seemed somewhat surprised.

"You do look familiar, Missy," he said, his eyes never leaving her face. "You look like someone I know!"

"Yes, I believe you know my sister - Jhara," Ria tried to help him.

"Ah, of course, yes, I do!" he grinned. "You look a lot like her... Come here!"

He offered Ria a seat at the bar and she gulped as she crossed the room, knowing only too well that the other guests were watching her every step attentively.

The tavern's owner took a new cup to dry and winked when he asked, "So where did you leave Jhara, young lady? Do tell me, what's your name?"

"Oh, excuse me, it's Taliah, or just Ria," she smiled and continued muttering, "my sister is… I think she wanted to… run some errands."

"Ria, nice name. Better than mine indeed, I'm Henry!" he introduced himself and drew nearer. "But considering the hour, it's very unlikely she will find any place to run her errands at, isn't it?"

He obviously wanted to let her know that the excuse she had thought of was no good, but she had already been fully aware of that when she uttered the words.

"She's meeting Dylan, that's much more likely, or am I wrong?" he grinned. "He won't stop talking about her, he's really in love."

Henry reminded Ria of her father, he was light-hearted and protective in a very unobtrusive way. It was probably the reason that made her finally nod. She shrugged, saying quietly, "I couldn't let her go all alone."

"Oh, how nice of you," groaned a bearded man at the other end of the bar, then he took another sip of his beer. "Even though you are the younger sister!"

Apparently he knew Jhara as well - or, judging from his annoyed undertone, at least their mother…

"You there, don't be so cynical!" Henry defended Ria. "Siblings have to take care of each other, no matter who is older. The girl is perfectly right!" He smiled at her as he mumbled the last part, "My brother and I, we were best friends at your age. I used to look after the old scallywag all the time… We're not talking anymore, but you know, back in the days, it was what it was."

Ria nodded. It almost felt like Henry had known her for years, not minutes.

"Oh, tell me, what would you like to drink, Missy?" he suddenly asked. "I can offer you anything. Liquor, of course only by way of exception, or tea - whatever you like!" His lightheartedness instantly lifted Ria's mood.

"Tea sounds great," she beamed.

Henry eagerly turned around and brew up a big pot of water with herbs.

"The book you brought, what is it?" he went on to ask, looking over his shoulder.

She gazed at the book critically, only for a few seconds. Then she decided it would be ridiculous to lie just because Narnia was dividing their nation these days. Nevertheless, she answered Henry as quietly as she could, so that only he was able to hear it.

"The Chronicles of Narnia. I haven't started to read them yet."

"Is that so?" Henry returned to the bar. "Are you sure this is adequate reading material these days?" He eyed her skeptically - she did not know that he was just joking.

"It's not the book's fault our country's falling apart,"she tried to take a stand, yet it sounded more like a question.

Henry grinned teasingly. "You're very right, Missy. And I'll tell you something. I couldn't think of a better King than Caspian, he should rule our country. I mean, just look at Narnia. The wealth and peace ever since he's been in power… I bet even Calormen would not dare to attack us if we belonged to the kingdom of the North. I have no idea why all these numskulls make such a fuss over it…"

"I couldn't agree more, Henry," Ria sighed. Finally someone said it out loud.

The innkeeper chuckled as he poured her some tea, he was careful not to spill any liquid on the leather cover of the book.

He winked at her and cited in a calm voice, "Oh yes. 'Make your choice, adventurous stranger, strike the bell and bide the danger, or wonder, till it drives you mad, what would have followed if you had.' Do you know that, Ria?"*

She thought about it for a few seconds, but then she shook her head no.

Henry raised a brow. "Well, then tell me, would you strike the bell?"

"I… yes, I think so, why would I not? Better than be driven mad, right?"

Henry nodded, smiled thoughtfully, then he said, "That's what Digory thought as well. He and Polly were the first cross-world travelers in Narnia. He struck the bell. The consequences were… well, I guess it was bound to happen."

"What was bound to happen?" Ria leaned forward. "It's in the Chronicles, right?"

"Maybe… Find out yourself, and don't let the tea get cold!"

"Sure," Ria chuckled and started to read, almost excitedly.

Unlike Jhara, she did not find it boring - she loved the legends and tales. After a couple of chapters she finally read the story Henry mentioned. Precisely when the consequences of the bell's struck were explained, the innkeeper came back - as though he could tell he should.

"They awoke Jadis?" Ria let out a harsh breath. "Who'd have known…"

Henry nodded cheerfully and topped up her cup every once in a while as she read on, losing every sense of time. Sometimes she mumbled along, so Henry knew exactly what she was reading. It was starting to get a little brighter outside as the dim moonlight shone through the clouds, and soon the sound of heavy rain was not to be overheard anymore. Not a good night to ride home again, Henry feared. But Ria read her book, read and read, and barely noticed how quickly the time flew by.

And when she heard the tavern's door being opened once again, she did not turn around at first. The abrupt silence that followed, however, made her look over her shoulder eventually.

A young man, he was probably about five to seven years older than herself, had entered the tavern. His eyes were tired and he seemed strained. Ria noticed the critical, almost cold expression on his face, and wondered whether it might be the grim version of a smile.

Just as the stranger started to look around to find a spot to sit down, Henry grinned and shouted, "Come on, take a seat at the bar, or do you want to keep me busy running around?"

This time, the stranger definitely smiled. "Of course not."

Henry appreciated it and pointed next to Ria, "Very well then, this young Lady could use some company, after all - she's rather lonely with me!"

Ria stared at Henry in disbelief. What was he doing?

"What a shame, seems you're right," the stranger agreed as he approached them, then he turned to Ria with an amused smirk. "Dear, would you mind?"

"No, no, do take a seat!"

"I made plenty, therefore - would you like some tea?" Henry asked as the man sat down.

"Why not," the stranger did not hesitate long and ran his hands through his wet hair. "But, please, with some lacing. And with that I actually mean a lot of lacing..."

"Tough day?"

"Tough month."

The innkeeper could not help but laugh and got to work. The young man noticed Ria's open book in the meantime.

"May I ask what you're reading? I'm curious."

"Oh, those are… Chronicles, just some tales," she waved her hand hastily.

"I like history, but I used to find most Chronicles quite boring," he replied, almost absently.

"Oh no, they're actually exciting!" Ria's face lit up.

"Are they?" he asked, his eyes holding a glint of surprise. "Which country are they from? Those of Calormen are said to be - "

Henry interrupted him with a snort, "Calormen? No, no, Sir, she's reading the Chronicles of _Narnia_." He served the tea and smiled. "A lot of liquor with a couple of herbs."

"Perfect, thanks a lot," the stranger said and turned to Ria again, almost in disbelief, "The Chronicles of Narnia - really? Voluntarily?"

He was quite charming. In a grim way, but charming.

Ria nodded and asked, "Do you know the stories? Would you have struck the bell?"

"Definitely," his mouth twitched. "I wouldn't have had much interest in being driven mad as prophesied."

"Our thoughts exactly," Ria agreed as Henry turned around again.

"That means you've also read them, young man?"

"As it happens," he said, took a sip of tea and looked at Ria. "Which story are you reading right now?"

"Caspian III. I have to admit that I had no idea how brutally some Kings ruled."

"Yes, indeed," the man said, dropping his voice.

"Well, Caspian X changed a lot over there," Henry shrugged after seconds of silence. "And he would change a lot in Archenland as well."

The young man drew in a deep breath as he said, "I'd try."

"I hope he'll try, too," Ria sighed and all of a sudden the stranger began to smile, somewhat amused, though she did not quite understand why.

Henry, however, suddenly crossed his arms and frowned as he looked past them towards the entrance.

"Do you hear that?" he asked.

Ria tried to listen, then she know exactly what he meant. Dull voices. Loud, angry voices.

"What's that?" she asked as she got up and walked towards one of the big windows. The noise grew louder, it came closer, but Ria could not see anyone yet. Then two torches lit the alley up, and she could see that far more people than expected were wandering through the narrow streets of Anvard.

"That's going to be another riot," Henry murmured, joining Ria in front of the window.

"But they seem peaceful," she gulped.

"Give them a couple of minutes... If they break another window, I'll get angry, believe me."

"Maybe Jhara and I should be going," Ria said as she looked at the entrance of Dylan's home across the street. But more and more people were walking by, and they would make it a lot harder for them to leave without trouble. The mob pointlessly wandered through the streets - as if torches and angry growls could solve any of their problems.

Ria gulped the longer she thought about it. But apparently all those raging, noisy people also worried her sister - Jhara stepped out of the door hastily. She saw her little sister in the tavern window and Ria knew what to do.

"You two agree, mh?" Henry chuckled. "Looks like you have to hurry."

Ria was about to look for some coins in her cloak, but Henry quickly assured her that he would not take any.

"Don't you dare - no need to pay for some herbs and water!"

She smiled. "Thank you, Henry. It was a pleasure to meet you!"

She said goodbye and her eyes met the rather dark, yet charismatic stranger's gaze once again. What was it with him? She could not help but giggle when she saw his faint smile.

"Take care, Missy," Henry said gravely, keeping a worried eye on her as she left the tavern.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Quote from The Magician's Nephew, C.S. Lewis, 1955


	3. The King

It was not easy for Jhara to reach her sister, but eventually they managed to make their way through the crowd. They had to return to Lestate at all cost.

"We need to go that way - come on, let's hurry!" Jhara went ahead and added impatiently, "Why do they have to protest this very night? I'm out of luck…"

"Sorry for you," Ria tried to catch up. Her sister surely had not expected to be forced to say goodbye to Dylan so soon again.

Jhara took Ria's hand and tried to push past the people that were headed for the contrary direction. They had to swim against the current and every move forward was exhausting.

"Jhara, why don't we fetch Lestate tomorrow?" Ria raised her voice so her sister could hear her. "I think we should - "

"What? Walk home? Just come on!"

Jhara seemed unconcerned, unlike her sister. Dylan's influence changed her, at least to some extend. The fear of losing the chance to be with her lover made Jhara more impulsive and stubborn, which was quite likable. But it did not help them much in their current situation. Ria hardly managed to stay behind her, even though Jhara tugged at her hand.

Lots of angry faces surrounded them. Hardly anyone let them make their way, they shoved them around and were unwilling to move at all. Sweaty skin touched their bodies and Ria was desperate to breathe properly.

"How dare you, get going!" an angry man shouted before he jostled Ria away. In shock, she let go of her sister's hand and got pushed farther away from her.

"Jhara, wait! Excuse me, I just need to - "

"Heavens, I don't care!" the man grumbled again, finally walking past her.

Ria continued her way almost frantically, trying not to lose sight of Jhara. Although her older sister kept turning around to her, she could not stop and wait for her - too many people rushed by.

"Excuse me - Jhara!"

And suddenly Ria could pinpoint what troubled her - childish fear. But she was forced to pull herself together to make her way through groups of mad people as fast as she could. Ria did not care about any of their reasons to protest, all she wanted was to be safe and at home with her sister again.

Then she saw a strange silver flash from the distance, right beside her sister, and she know that their getaway had gone terribly wrong.

It was far too late to even scream, the dagger had already hurt Jhara somewhere between her neck and shoulder. The man waddling the blade around had not even noticed, probably not even intended to hurt her, but he clearly had. Ria saw her sister cry out in pain, but she could not really hear her. Ria did not hear anything anymore, all of a sudden her mind was in a fuzzy haze and the raging crowd just passed her by as she stopped in horror. It felt as if her heart refused to beat, at least for a moment. She could not move, she could not think clearly.

But when she was abruptly pushed away by a heavy blow to the side, she woke up again. The burning pain right below her chest made her feel herself again, and she finally started running, as fast and as ruthless as she could. She saw the blood and she saw how her sister was caught by a stranger when she collapsed, and nothing could hold her back anymore.

She ran to her sister and the couple of people who tried to help Jhara. Ria was calling her name, over and over again, in an attempt to keep her awake. She quickly handed over her cloak so the helpers could make an improvised compression bandage out of the cloth. But it all felt so surreal. As though she was trapped in a nightmare, Ria did not feel the cold, hard ground on her knees. She could not feel the rain on her face. Her body was too numb to feel anything because she was so afraid of losing her sister.

And then she heard a man's voice right behind her, clearly in panic.

"Jhara! Out of the way!"

"Dylan?" Ria asked as the man rushed to her sister and cupped Jhara's face in his hands. Ria had never seen him in person before, but he was just as blonde as Jhara had always described him; he was tall and he had those bright blue eyes Jhara used to mention - so who else could it be?

"How on earth did this happen?" he bellowed and made Ria flinch. And she even tried to answer, but she could barely say a word. She was simply overwhelmed by the situation. She heard her sister mumble, Jhara was as pale as death and moaning in pain, so Ria felt completely lost for the first time in her life.

The strangers who helped them tried to agree on what to do next and Ria wanted to assist as well, but she was trembling with fear.

"You should have protected your sister!" Dylan screamed. "Why didn't you - "

"Stop yelling at her," someone behind them said in a cutting voice.

Ria turned her head and recognized the man from the tavern as he came closer. He was not much older than Dylan, but he silenced him at once, and Ria was incredibly grateful for it.

"How tight is that?" the man went on to ask, pointing at Jhara's bandage. No one ventured a reply, so without further ado he took a look at it himself and mumbled, "Should do for now…"

"That's what we came up with as well!" Dylan complained, then he asked him anxiously, "What do we do next?"

"She needs to see a doctor, now," the stranger answered plainly and turned to Ria, who had been trying to protect her side with her hand intuitively for a while now. "And so do you, by the way."

Ria shook her head in surprise.

"I'm afraid there are no doctors left in this district," a man next to them said. "All the ones I know are on the other side of town, but it would take far too long to get her there."

"But one lives only a few minutes away from your hunting lodge, isn't that so, Taliah?" Dylan asked desperately.

Ria was quick to nod when suddenly three other people hurried to them. One of them was a lot older than his companions, he seemed exhausted and was breathing heavily as he stepped behind the young stranger whose name Ria still did not know.

"Goodness, where were you? I've already feared - " the old fellow gasped, but he was interrupted immediately.

"Addison, we need a coach or a cart - doesn't matter. And Cuartio, you and Driscol take them home as fast as you can. They're injured."

"Oh, no, I'm not at all - " Ria tried to persuade him, but his grave look was enough to keep her from lamenting.

"Hunting lodge you said?" the young man asked Dylan again. "Grand Duchess Aláseya's?"

"Yes, exactly," Dylan confirmed and the stranger only nodded to the old man called Addison. He seemed to understand his demand right away, as did the others, and Driscol took Ria by the shoulders and made her move.

"Wait, please, I need to find our horse, it's just around the corner, I need to - " Ria stuttered, trying to get out of the officer's grip. "Wait a minute, I'm really fine!"

"Driscol, I'll take care of the horse, keep moving," the young man ordered.

The officer nodded and gently pushed Ria forward again. "Excuse me, you've heard His Majesty."

"What? Come again?" her jaw dropped. "His Majesty?"

"King Caspian, yes."

Had Driscol slapped her in the face, Ria would have been less surprised. She looked back at the man she had just met in Henry's tavern and all of a sudden she could see him for who he really was - the Telmarine King of Narnia.

* * *

 

They were about to arrive at the hunting lodge when Ria saw Dylan, a doctor and the King riding past them. Caspian had kept his promise. Lestate was not easy to lead, but she seemed to like him.

"They're here already," Ria absently pointed out.

"Yes, just in time," Addison nodded.

"Oh, we're going to regret this," Jhara moaned in pain, but with a wary smile on her face. "Mother will be _very_ upset."

Ria could not help but chuckle at this comment, which was a mistake. She felt her side burn and pulse irritatingly again, but Ria forced herself to brush it aside.

She had no time to wallow in self-pity anyway. At that very moment, Grand Duchess Aláseya rushed out of the huge entrance in a mad fury, followed by Dylan and some housekeepers. He must have tried to explain the situation to her, but Ria knew her mother only too well. She had probably stopped listening as soon as he had mentioned the words 'injured' and 'King'.

Looking through the small window of the coach, Ria watched how her mother was trying to welcome Caspian - she even took a bow, however she could not hide that she was completely troubled. But the King, down-to-earth as Ria had got to know him, seemed to comfort Aláseya, at least to some extent. And when the coach finally arrived at the front court of the hunting lodge, Driscol was right about to shoulder Ria, when she insisted he ought to take care of her sister like his companion Cuartio instead.

"The King said you were injured as well..."

"With all due respect," Ria replied firmly, "His Majesty must've been mistaken."

But when the door of the carriage was being opened and Caspian offered his hand to her, Ria hastily accepted it to make way for Jhara's helpers and as she moved, she immediately felt the burning pain in her lower chest again.

She tried to hide it, yet the King looked at her elusively and said in a low voice, "Might just be a bruise if you're lucky - but I really doubt it."

It would have been ridiculous to claim how well she felt once again, but she had no idea what else to say. Now that she knew who he was, she was quite afraid to behave inappropriately anyway.

Her mother raced to Jhara as she was being carried out of the coach, but Dylan made Aláseya realize that she could not do anything to help her daughter and had to trust the doctor. She was puzzled at first, but she accepted that he was right and then it seemed to begin to dawn on her that she had not only one but two daughters. She kept an eye out for Taliah and there was nowhere to hide. Ria could sense that her sister was right. Aláseya _was_ upset and explaining this horrible night to her would be no pleasure.

Without even realizing it, Ria looked up at Caspian as though she hoped for help, and his faint smile did encourage once again, and just enough to not run away at that. She took a deep breath and approached the Grand Duchess as their eyes met.

"Mother, I'm sorry - everything went wrong tonight, we just wanted to - "

She was almost expecting to be interrupted, but Aláseya did not say a word. Her eyes only narrowed. Was she trying to contain herself in front of the King? Ria gulped and watched as Dylan helped the two guards carry her sister into the hunting lodge. The doctor kept talking to her and he seemed confident, like everything could be alright again...

"I'm afraid I don't know what to say..." Ria finally admitted.

"And nothing else did I expect," Aláseya said under her breath. "It doesn't get worse than that, does it? For Heaven's sake, Taliah, why did you let this happen to your sister?"

Her mother, not unlike Dylan in Anvard, believed that Ria was to blame. And maybe they were right.

Contemplating this thought, Ria was surprised to hear King Caspian chime in, "Pardon me, Aláseya, I find your daughter couldn't have cared for her sister any better."

His deliberate gaze gave away that he was well aware that the Grand Duchess could hardly question her future King's opinion. Aláseya paused for a moment, then she forced a bitter smile.

"Is that so?"

Caspian solemnly nodded.

Ria already assumed she could breath a sigh of relief again, but that, in fact, caused the ache in her side to return and pulse again, so a moan escaped her lips.

"My goodness, Ria, what is it?" the Grand Duchess let her temper rise.

"I'd guess one or two of her ribs are broken," the King informed them and turned to Ria again, speaking much softer, "The doctor needs to take a look at you as well - do let him."

After a moment of hesitation, Ria finally nodded.

"No se preocupe," he tried to console her, though Ria did not understand a word. But there was something about him, his confidence and manners, that made her feel secure whenever he was around. (1)

Aláseya took a mental note immediately - did they not exchange interesting looks? The King seemed to be worried about her daughter - what a turn of events! All of a sudden she felt much less upset.

Aláseya cleared her throat and suggested, "Your Majesty, you must be exhausted, why don't you follow us inside?"

* * *

The doctor was relieved when he found that the dagger had not gone deep enough and he explained that Jhara's lungs had remained unharmed. He also examined Ria. The initial shock had made her immune to any pain at first, but two of her ribs were broken indeed. Now that the injury _did_ hurt, Ria could no longer deny how miserable she felt. But it did not matter - they had made it back home and would recover eventually.

Nevertheless she had no intention to leave her sister. Jhara was fast asleep and Ria, sitting next to her on her bed, held her hand silently. She could use some rest as well, so she longed for the moment Aláseya would finally stop her interrogation. Aláseya, Caspian's Grand Vizier Addison and Dylan had gathered around Jhara and nothing could hinder them from discussing the events of the night.

"So His Majesty thinks you took good care of your sister?" Aláseya mocked, without the King being around as cynical as ever.

Ria sighed. "Mother, please - "

"That's fine, dear. If the King of Narnia says so, it's beyond doubt!" She examined her fingernails for a moment, then she continued, "I was just not expecting him to sing your praises… Have you already gotten to know each other a little bit?"

Silence is golden, Ria thought and refused to respond. Aláseya smiled smugly and waved her hand dismissively.

"I'll be back later," she announced, then she nodded acidly in Dylan's direction. He knew she wanted him to accompany her - she still had a lot of burning questions. Did she already know about their affair? Dylan gulped and stood up to follow the Grand Duchess.

"Please call me as soon as she wakes up," he managed to ask Ria as he left.

"I'd better say goodbye for now, too," Addison decided. "I hope you and your sister get well soon."

Ria smiled gratefully, then she could not help but ask, "You don't happen to know where the King is?"

Why did she even want to know that? When she noticed Addison's vague smile, she added shyly, "Without his help we wouldn't be here now, you know? I would like to thank him. Everything went so fast..."

"He'll certainly understand," Addison assured her, "I gather he's just joined some of Anvard's noblemen to discuss the current situation. You shouldn't wait for him, the King won't come back too soon."

Ria was astounded. "But it's well past midnight..."

"Yes - I'm afraid we can't afford to waste any time," Addison nodded.

She watched the Grand Vizier leave, and now that the sisters were alone again, Ria absently touched the drainage around her chest. It was supposed to help her heal and breathe more easily, but it was truly uncomfortable and she hated to remember the words of the doctor. A lot of rest, as little exercise as possible, no corsets. What a prospect, what a night.

She decided that getting some sleep was the best she could do. But shaking off her worried thoughts was almost impossible. She could not stop visualizing the silver dagger flashing in the night, her sister's blood on her hands, and the King's face. Or his handsome features… He surely had to believe she was completely dim-witted. Anyone would have recognized the man that had freed Narnia from Miraz's reign of terror only a few years ago - anyone but her.

"Wonderful," she sighed in a low voice and mocked herself, „would you have struck the bell, Your Majesty? Do sit down, Your Majesty! Good heavens…"

* * *

**Translations:**

**1\. No se preocupe / Don't worry**


	4. Suggestions

 

When Ria woke up next to her sister, autumn's orange morning sun seemed to promise a much better day. But her body was aching and she could not possibly have fallen asleep in a more uncomfortable posture. Her ribs burned like fire and she was sore all over. Jhara felt even worse, of course, and had no intention of getting up anytime soon.

So Ria decided to leave her room as quietly as possible. She was still wearing the dusty dress from the day before, on top of everything without a bodice because of the doctor's examination. She desperately wanted to take a bath, but Ria was not allowed to take off her bandage for a few more days and therefore she had to freshen up less thoroughly than she would normally have. She was forced to choose a dress that was not tight nor shaped, which only applied to one gown she owned, and she had to realize that it looked pretty old and awful on her.

As she gazed into the mirror and tried to straighten her hair a bit, Ria could hardly believe any of the latest events had even taken place. At first, she had managed not to recognize the King of Narnia, then they were rescued by him and last but not least he had even defended her against her mother's accusations. All of this in a ridiculously short time period.

It was only when she noticed the smell of fresh bread from downstairs that Ria felt hungry. As if their world was still at peace, she found her mother with the King's Grand Vizier Addison, the two officers Driscol and Cuartio and two noblemen from Anvard, all seated around a richly spread table. It smelled a bit musty - the winter garden they had gathered in was old and shabby. But nobody seemed to care, for everyone was just as hungry as Ria.

"Good morning!" she tried to curtsy, but her injury made it impossible for her to move elegantly. Ria hoped her mother would not mind for once. Aláseya's gaze was critical, but since Addison offered Ria to sit to his left, the Grand Duchess apparently decided not to pick it up.

"How are you today, do you feel any better?" the Grand Vizier asked. It was the moment her mother realized she should also address her daughter's wellbeing, so she joined wearily, "Yes, Taliah, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, thank you. I'm sure this will only take some time to heal."

"Of course it will!" Aláseya snorted.

Addison, however, gave her a warm smile and Ria could have sworn that he winked at her when her mother said, "Well, you two were really lucky. This young man, what's his name? Dylan! He mentioned something about a riot?"

Ria nodded. "It was terrible, all of a sudden there were way too many people in the streets. They carried torches and carts, and some of them even had weapons."

"That's a shame," Cuartio sighed, "why do so many people refuse to align with Narnia?"

Ria helped herself to the buffet as the others kept ranting about politics, about the fact that Calormen was an ever-growing threat, and at some point, even Margrave Diorn and his engagement to Jhara was mentioned. He had already heard of Jhara's accident and he wanted to express his concern by sending letters.

"He's very kind, a really good match!" Aláseya raved.

Ria had to bite her tongue to avoid making an inappropriate comment. From now on it would be almost impossible for her poor sister to see Dylan. Ria could only hope that he had been clever enough to pretended to just be some random helper…

When the financial issues of Archenland were discussed and everyone complained about Nain's last will, Ria was completely lost in thought until Driscol said something interesting.

"But as far as I know, they do love the idea of a banquet."

"Oh, wonderful, as if we had any time to celebrate and feast!" one of the noblemen from Anvard rolled his eyes.

Driscol nodded. "I know it's decadent. But the peers like it. Although some have understood how serious the situation is, most of them still insist on luxury. And you've read Nain's last will yourself, you know the King can only make a change if all the sceptics agree as well. We don't stand a chance if they have the impression that Archenland suffers a loss of wealth or culture because of the alliance. They'd never vote in our favor."

"Agreed," Aláseya shrugged.

"Where will this banquet take place?" Ria tried to hide her excitement.

Her mother was quick to reply, "Why, here of course!"

"We were thinking of some kind of ball, to be honest," Addison explained, "even though it's almost inappropriate considering all the riots. But the end justifies the means. Narnia must demonstrate its power. Those to be present need to witness that Caspian and the Narnian government are able to rebuild Archenland."

"The King himself, however, hates the idea of a ball," noted Cuartio, "he believed this suggestion to be a bad joke."

Addison smiled mischievously. "Yes, because he's worn out, hates dancing and doesn't want to give a speech - and he hasn't slept properly in days. Ever since the negotiations began, he hardly had a minute to himself. But I'm sure he'll understand how important this event is."

"At least your King gets involved, he tries to make a change!" one of the nobleman from Anvard said, quite bluntly criticizing Nain.

"I do my best."

Ria heard the familiar velvet voice right behind her, calm and steady. Like the others, she turned around in surprise, but she had to regret her fast movement instantly - her ribs burned again.

Compared to a couple of hours ago, Caspian was dressed quite differently. No longer did he wear a plain linen shirt and boots that had visibly endured exciting journeys. He was no longer dressed like any man. He had exchanged his comfortable leisure wardrobe for the impressive, noble clothing of a King, tailor made of expensive fabrics and decorated with embroidered ornaments.

One of the housekeepers, Maía, had led him into the winter garden and Aláseya immediately offered him to take a seat, right beside Taliah...

"Sorry," Caspian said in mock apology, "it seems you never really have a choice when it comes to seating arrangements." Without doubt, he had their encounter in Henry's tavern in mind. Nobody else understood this reference, but Ria could not help but chuckle.

"Aláseya, I have to compliment you - your hunting lodge is quite impressive," Caspian changed the subject casually, "is it in the family?"

Whether he did it on purpose or not, it made Aláseya beam with joy. Ria took a mental note - yes, the King _was_ charming, his reputation had preceded him.

"Yes, Your Majesty, for generations," Aláseya confirmed, "although I have to confess that it has seen better days. The park and the pavilion as well, but under the given circumstances this is of no importance. But please, help yourself, you look hungry."

"And tired!" Addison added as he handed over one of the bread baskets to Caspian.

"Thank you - who doesn't love a compliment," the King smiled wearily and went on to ask, "There's a pavilion in the park?"

"Oh yes, there is!" Aláseya's eyes widened. "It's a bit out of the way, but absolutely worth a visit. I'm sure Taliah would gladly show you around, Your Majesty."

Ria groaned inwardly because of her mother's importunity, but when she met Caspian's amused gaze, she suddenly had the impression that he liked the idea. She could not help but smile as she said, "Anytime."

"I'll get back to that for sure," the King nodded.

"Caspian, did you make any progress last night?" Addison inquired.

"Not at all," the King shook his head, "the voting procedure drives me crazy. Hours of pointless discussions are obsolete because of one objection that forces us start from scratch again. A vicious circle. Prudence is fine with me, but… Addison, the treaties won't be signed in a hundred years."

The Grand Vizier took a deep breath, then he stiffened. "The banquet will serve its purpose, you'll see. If it's a success, the sceptics might vote for us."

"The banquet? Maravilloso…" Caspian drummed his fingers on top of the table impatiently, but he found himself unable to work up the energy to even protest. "You mean it, don't you? Come on, you can't possibly believe this to be a good idea." (1)

"We've already discussed this," Addison tried to remind the King. "That could be our only chance to convince Eskright and Tesreau."

"You can't even make them chat about the weather," Caspian moaned. "What do you expect? A couple of appetizers and classical music to change their minds?"

Ria really had to suppress a laugh as she listened. She knew the gentlemen referred to well and although the friends Eskright and Tesreau were always eager to leave a good impression on her - she had no idea why, however she assumed it had something to do with her mother - she was fully aware that conversations with them could be very exhausting.

Addison shrugged and took a bite of his bread. "Well, who knows? It's worth the try, don't you think?"

"Whatever," Caspian frowned, "do what you please, as long as you don't want me to give a speech to repeat myself for the hundredth time."

Addison gulped when Caspian turned to Ria again. "Taliah, how is your sister? And you, does it hurt?"

"Your Majesty, I need to apologize - I completely forgot to thank you for helping us yesterday."

Caspian shook his head. "Not worth mentioning." As he gestured at her side, he seemed concerned. "How bad is it?"

"Two broken ribs," she sang small. "You were right."

"Too bad I was," he nodded. "The shock must have numbed the pain at first."

"We were all shocked, I guess," Aláseya said dryly and went on to change the subject, "Your Majesty, am I right in assuming that you didn't slept this night?"

"Is it that obvious?" he smirked. The exhaustion was beginning to show on his face indeed. But what was he to do? The situation was tense and prone to escalate any minute, so he could not afford to waste any time.

"Caspian, you have to look after yourself," Addison worried as well, "I know how important these matters are, but - "

"I'm glad you understand," Caspian interrupted him, "once everything is settled, I'll take a break. But the next couple of weeks are crucial."

"I'm afraid you need to get some rest, though," Ria heard herself say before she could even think about it. Who was she to give advice to a King?

Caspian seemed a litte astonished. He lowered his voice asking, "Do you think so?"

Ria managed to nod shyly after some hesitation and Aláseya was right about to apologize on her daughter's behalf when Caspian began to grin and turned to Addison, "It's not half as convincing when you say it."

"Might be true," the Grand Vizier shrugged in amusement, "but in any case I'd be happy if you listened to her."

* * *

After that morning, Ria had not seen the King in many days. He was busy attending countless appointments in the palace, the old town and many outlying districts far from Anvard.

Jhara gradually recovered in the meantime, yet the sisters were not allowed to leave the hunting lodge at all. And while the situation in Anvard seemed to worsen, the noblemen kept arguing - they did not even arrive at an agreement when ambassadors from Calormen were spotted close to the borders. The civil war split the country from within, yet they ought to act quickly to keep Calormen at bay. It was no secret that, if Anvard chose to stay on its own, the Tis'roc would no longer hesitate to claim the country - with fatal consequences. Not only would entirely different mentalities and cultures clash, they would also depend on Tashbaan's financial benevolence soon.

Was the banquet their only hope to convince even the most stubborn nobles? Taliah hoped for the best. Maybe they really had to dance for the good of their country...

* * *

**Translations:**

**1\. Maravilloso / wonderful**

 

**How did you like the story so far? I'd love to hear your thoughts :)**


	5. Conversations

Since the King's arrival, almost two weeks had passed. And again, the morning session had been no good. Instead of solving matters, the noblemen started to suddenly disagree on subjects they had actually cleared days ago.

"Caspian, once and for all," Eskright almost shouted, "you can't believe this to be a proper solution! As if Calormen would ever agree!"

His provocative tone had been unnerving from the start. As one of Narnia's most fervent critics from Anvard, Eskright would not tire of pointing out alleged inconsistencies and making comments of no earthly use.

"These payments have been the only way to ensure our border security since Nain's death," Tesreau joined his fellow. He had also been an outspoken opponent of most of Narnia's proposals from the very beginning. "We cannot simply suspend them, this is madness!"

Caspian tried to focus. But he had led too many discussions of this kind lately, and they were not only exhausting, but also enraging.

He straightened and forced himself to reply as politely as he could.

"Gentlemen, nothing about those payments' suspension is going to be simple, I'm well aware of that," he began phlegmatically, "that's no secret and I won't whitewash the facts. But true madness would be to carry on like this. You're paying protection money - let's just call a spade a spade - and it's nothing but a short-term solution causing deceptive, temporary peace. Your funds are dwindling. How do you want to proceed? Not much is left of the former glory of your capital, let alone the districts around the mountains. How do you plan on rebuilding the palace and the old town? The taxes barely cover the minimum."

"Then we'll raise them!" Tesreau was quick to answer.

"You already have an incredibly high tax burden, that's unacceptable, you know it as well as we do," Addison objected. It did not escape him that the King was nearly at the end of his patience, so he went on, "Are you not aware of how serious the situation is? You speak and act as if Archenland was in possession of infinite resources. As if there was no need for action. These funds used for Calormen are about to be taken for granted by your neighbours. You can't afford that to happen and you know well that under the direct protection of the crown of Narnia, Calormen would not dare to attack you."

"You don't know that for sure!" Eskright waggled a finger at Addison. "Talk is cheap. I say an alliance is risky. We lose our independence and thus our sense of culture. Have we not seen what the Telmarines have done to Narnia at the time?"

There they were again, Caspian knew the common prejudices against his people all too well. Yes, he was a Telmarine. And yes, Narnia had been ravaged by his ancestors, without a doubt. But those who knew what kind of reign Caspian pursued in the north were well aware that he was no typical Telmarine King.

It's no use, just get out of here, Caspian caught himself thinking, and Addison could read his mind. But the King had sworn to act to the best of his knowledge and belief in this matter. He simply could not forget all the people who had recognized him in Anvard in the night of their arrival. Hungry, broken people, looking for a home as theirs was destroyed. Children facing an uncertain future, bound to lose their faith in justice in a country with no functioning economy. The poor placed their hopes in Narnia. Caspian could not give up on them just because of the rich nobilitys' hubris.

"Perhaps we can address some of these concerns during the next few sessions," Addison proposed, "but Eskright, Narnia has no intention of dominating let alone oppressing your country, let me make that clear."

Addison always managed to stay calm, no matter what, and Caspian truly appreciated that.

"The banquet you mentioned…" Tesreau began, clearing his throat, "maybe that's where we get to resolve an issue or two. Let's wait and see. We won't come to an agreement today I gather."

"Very well, gentlemen - we postpone!" the King said loudly. He jumped to his feet before his bad temper could show even more. Considering the current situation of the country, its poverty and the civil war, it was utterly careless of the noblemen to have high expectations of a feudal banquet and he could not help but condemn this attitude.

But the room emptied quickly - everybody seemed to be relieved when the session ended and they got to leave.

"Me vuelvo loco, lo juro," Caspian moaned and gave Addison an incredulous glance. And the Grand Vizier understood, he knew how much Caspian hated standstill - it was likely one of his best traits, but not of help in Anvard. (1)

"Take it from an old man twice your age," Addison smiled, "there is no getting around the banquet. But it will be a breakthrough, you'll see."

Caspian drew in a long breath, then he nodded. "Bread and circuses."

"Bread and circuses."

"We have to adjust some of the treaties," Caspian was about to go on, looking through a couple of unsorted documents.

"Let me take care of that," Addison said. "I'll let the jurists review them. You've been up all day and night, get some rest, will you?"

* * *

But Caspian could not rest - it was easier said than done, so he decided to get some fresh air and enjoy the silence as he sat on the stairs at the entrance of the hunting lodge.

The huge property was run-down, the park, however, was beautifully landscaped and autumn began to shine in bright colors. Caspian loved the rural side to Anvard, it was a welcome change. The pomp of Cair Paravel and Telmar was fascinating, even after years, but Archenland's majestic simplicity impressed effortlessly. Yet Anvard's beauty was in danger. The silence surrounding the capital was deceptive. One might have thought it to be the most peaceful place on earth. But the weather changed, gray clouds in the sky wanted to be proof of the coming storm.

Caspian was lost in thoughts when he heard someone stepping outside. He turned around and, to his joy, he saw Taliah coming closer. There was something about her, the way she moved, the way her messy hair came down…

She had changed her last bandage, or so she hoped at least, and the pain was almost gone. When she saw the King, her heart quickened and she could not help but smile.

"Is it still hurting?" Caspian asked and gestured at her side.

"Not really", she said as she neared him, "I'm out of the woods, I guess."

He smirked. "So you'll get to choose a dress you actually like for the banquet?"

"Yes, no more sacks," she agreed, "may I?"

Caspian nodded quickly so she sat down next to him.

"I'm surprised the banquet is really taking place," Ria shrugged.

"A dream comes true," he smiled wearily, "my humble opinion hasn't been taken into account this time. I guess the title to the thrown isn't worth much these days."

"Will you give a speech, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, sure."

His look was indefinable, but it was obvious that the last weeks' trouble had taken its toll on him.

He explained, "I know it'd be rude not to say a few words, but I'd love to disregard etiquette just this once."

"But wouldn't Narnia's critics like to see that?"

He nodded. "That's why there's no avoiding it. Normally I wouldn't mind it anyway, it's my duty, business as usual, but... I'm just going to repeat myself for the high society once again."

"Must be frustrating," Ria blew out her cheeks.

"Just as it is absurd. As if Archenland could afford to act like this forever. Calormen is a threat and we don't do anything about it. No one's even worried."

"Some of us are," Ria assured.

They briefly looked at each other until hasty footsteps on the gravel came closer. A man rushed to them. Caspian had never seen him before, he could only guess who he was. Ria, however, knew him - well enough. It was none other than Margrave Diorn, Jhara's fiancé. He carried a large bouquet of flowers as well as a book. He seemed to be genuinely concerned about his bride-to-be.

"Taliah, I was traveling when Jhara was injured, but I swear I came here as fast as I could!" he exclaimed, not even noticing the King beside her. "How is she doing? Where is she?"

"She's feeling much better already," Ria tried to calm him down in vain.

"Does she like to read? I mean, I bought this book, it is said to be exciting, but I'm not sure if she'll like it…"

"Oh, that's… nice! Don't worry, she will," Ria forced a smile. "I'd best take you to her right away…"

Ria was about to get up when Aláseya hurried by. She looked at her daughter and Caspian, then at Diorn, obviously baffled and thrilled at the same time. She admittedly liked the idea of Taliah being close to the King of Narnia, but she could not wallow in pleasure now.

"Your Majesty!" she acknowledged Caspian, a broad smile on her face, then she wanted to turn to Diorn, but he was completely flabbergasted.

"The King? Oh, where are my manners, my apologies!" he cried and made a bow. "Welcome to Anvard, Your Majesty."

"Very kind of you," Caspian replied casually and, finally, Aláseya got the chance to say, "Margrave, it's so good to see you - Jhara will be delighted!"

Ria noticed a faint smile on Caspian's face as her mother acted so overjoyed. They both knew that Jhara would not be delighted at all. Even worse, if her fiancé had heard of any rumors about Dylan, she would have a lot of explaining to do.

"Taliah, no need for you to get up, just leave that to me," Aláseya said in a tone that made it very clear that she wanted Ria to stay with Caspian. "Margrave, if you'd follow me? Excuse us."

"Sure, of course," Diorn mumbled as he obeyed.

He was gone as quickly as he had arrived and Caspian's amused expression gave away his thoughts, at least to some extend.

"Beautiful flowers," he said dryly, "your sister will surely be delighted."

The situation they had just witnessed was so bizarre that Ria, at last, could not help but laugh - and neither could Caspian.

"You know what?" he then went on to say. "Your sister is about to endure a serious questioning, nothing's happening in the old town, treaties must be rewritten… Our hands are tied, aren't they?"

"Yes, for sure," Ria nodded. "And you must be exhausted. This is your chance to get some rest, so I'd better leave you alone…"

Ria was about to get up when Caspian asked, "You want to leave me alone?"

It was obvious that she felt at ease around him. By suggesting to leave she was just trying to be polite, and in this matter Caspian did not care for politeness at all.

"Trust me," he said, "at the moment, you're one of the few people I don't want to be left alone by. Didn't your mother mention something about a pavilion in the park a couple of days ago?"

When Ria's eyes met his excited gaze, she suddenly had a feeling that the King liked to have her around. A ready smile spread across her face.

"Yes, she did - I almost forgot. You want to go there?"

"I'd love to."

"Fine, well…", she nodded, "follow me, then!"

She took two or three steps and waited for Caspian to get up from the stairs as well.

"But let me tell you, it's really nothing special, don't expect too much," Ria tried to warn him. "When we were children, Jhara and I used to spend hour after hour in there. Our father has even built a small fireplace so we wouldn't get cold in the winter."

"Sounds like you've had a happy childhood," Caspian replied as he noticed a raindrop falling on his cheek. After he raised his eyes to the dark sky, he exchanged looks with Ria. They were right about to get into a heavy downpour.

"Would you rather postpone that?"

"No way!", Ria grinned.

"How fast can you run, given you were injured only two weeks ago?" he asked and was surprised when she passed him by rather swiftly. He did not hesitate to join her, for it had already begun to rain.

They followed the gravel road west of the hunting lodge and could see the pavilion from the distance soon. Despite the many trees that had shielded them from the rain, the two were drenched as they arrived.

The pavilion was in no good condition indeed. A nice scent of soil and forest was in the air, but the white paint had become dry and dusty, the wood was weathered and the windows were murky - yet it did look quite cozy.

"Come in!" Ria said and opened the door.

The dark floor creaked as they entered. Despite the many windows, the light inside was almost dim. Caspian looked around and ran his fingers over some of the old windowsills. The fireplace Ria had mentioned had not been in use for a long time, that was obvious. Right in front of it, a bit dusty and with faded pillows spread all over, there was a settee just like the ones that could be found in many mansions in Calormen. Apart from that, the pavilion had become the gardeners' store room for various tools - brooms, shovels and scythes were leaning on the walls in no special order.

"Not very nice," Ria admitted as she closed the door, still slightly out of breath.

Caspian chuckled. "I think it's really charming. Except for the shovels."

"Yes, those are quite odd," Ria smiled, "but it's far away from the hunting lodge, hence far enough away from politics." She stepped away to take a look out of the window, only to see that it was still raining. Another quick glance at the puddle she had caused on the floor now confirmed she had been guessing right - she was indeed dripping wet.

"May I?" Caspian asked, pointing to the basket of firewood. It got quite cold and his clothes were completely wet, too, causing the fabric to cling on his skin.

"Oh yes, please!", Ria said, watching him with interest.

He tampered at the fireplace, thinking out loud, "It's none of my business, but I feel sorry for your sister. She doesn't seem to be too pleased about her engagement, yet your mother claims she is delighted... That word..."

"Well, yes... It's quite bold of her, but things were not easy when our father passed away. She just wants us to have a good life, so she tries to arrange everything as best as she can…"

She sighed and all of a sudden Ria was wondering what exactly she was doing. She was all alone with the King of Narnia, in a dimly lit garden shed, and their clothes were soaking wet. It would take the fabric forever to dry on their skin. And in a way, she could vividly imagine that all of this would please her mother a lot if she knew. Aláseya had been eyeing Caspian and her with great interest whenever they met and she was the one to suggest this little visit at the pavilion… Ria knew her mother. Aláseya would have been hopping mad if her youngest daughter were in this situation with any other man, but apparently she did not mind to bend her own rules in a King's favor.

"Alright, it's about to get warmer," Caspian promised as he rose from the fireplace. The cracking flames instantly illuminated the pavilion, drenching everything around them in a warm, orange light. Ria sat down on a dusty pillow, right in front of the fireplace and the King did not hesitate to do so as well.

"And you won't become ill like that?" she asked without giving it too much thought as she pointed to his wet linen shirt, only to realize how imprudent that question must have sounded.

He grinned, however, and lowered his voice, "I've been contemplating how to undress the most elegant way without giving the impression of having ulterior motives. And how to convince you to take your wet dress off without sounding selfish."

Now it was her turn to chuckle. She probably ought to be embarrassed or shocked, but that was not the case. Caspian was refreshingly straightforward and she felt at ease with him, even though she barely knew him. She trusted him.

"Well, we are becoming ill, aren't we?" she said a bit shyly though.

Caspian nodded, mumbling something like "No hay pa' tanto" as he took off his shirt to hang it up over the fireplace. (2)

"Do you need some help?" he asked as if it was nothing to casually offer to open the lacing on the back of her dress. She eventually nodded though and turned around, secretly biting her lips because he was even more handsome without a shirt. But what was she doing? She sat next to the King of Narnia, who was half naked and about to undress her as well. Yet she did not feel like she had to worry about it, she was completely calm.

"What do you think, does Diorn know about Dylan?" Caspian asked, opening her dress. "Alright, you can take it off."

"Thank you," Ria said as she began to pull off the sleeves of her dress. "I don't know. Maybe it'd be best if he knew. But then again - which ever way you look at it, it's complicated. It's always been that way for Jhara. I'm afraid there will be a lot of gossip…"

She was glad she had picked one of her prettier shifts in the morning, although it was a rather low-cut one. It was also a bit wet, but not as much as her overdress, which she hung next to Caspian's shirt.

"People will always gossip, she mustn't take that to heart," he said, leaning back as he made himself comfortable. "She will never be free again, but you are. Enjoy it as long as you can. Marrying into high society changes everything."

"I guess it's true what they say - Noblesse oblige," Ria said.

"Indeed. I was crowned King fairly young and my life changed drastically. I was used to commitments before, but suddenly everything and anything was of public interest. Critics everywhere, constant reminders of etiquette, well-intentioned advices at court…"

"That sounds just like the Chronicles describe it," Ria pointed out, her mouth curving into a smile. "A high price for your numerous titles."

"Oh, titles are something so terribly old-fashioned. No one likes to read them out loud anymore, it's so peculiar."

"Why?" she asked lively. "If I remember correctly, you are - I'll try to quote - King of Narnia and Terebinthia, Emperor of the Lone Islands and Dragon Island… Lord and Ruler of Cair Paravel and Telmar… Baron of Ettinsmor and, if I'm not mistaken Duke of Lantern Waste, the Seven Isles and Galma, and something like Count of the Western Wild, am I right? It takes some time to list that..."

She grinned when the King rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Don't you like to hear that?" she laughed.

He was quick to answer, "No, not at all. It just reminds me of all the work that comes with it… I'd much rather like to know how many chapters of the Chronicles you've read by now."

"All of them," she beamed, "do tell, is Narnia really like that?"

"Well, Taliah, the Chronicles do describe Narnia authentically."

He pronounced her name in a lovely way, much different to anybody else, probably because of his mother tongue. Intuitively, Ria came a little closer.

"I thought so, yes…" she hesitated for a moment, then she could not hold it back, "may I ask you something personal? Did you grow up with the Spanish language?"

She seemed so innocent. Did she even know how attractive she was? Caspian did not want to think that way, she was far too young and inexperienced. But he could not quite suppress it either - she was just what he fancied, and he had already noticed that in Henry's tavern…

"I did. My family descends from Spanish sailors. Nothing special to be fair, most Telmarine families do. And they all speak Spanish at home. Tradición telmarina."

"And at court as well?"

"Depends on who is present," he said and drew nearer himself, smiling skeptically. "Why? Do you speak Spanish?"

"No, not a single word," she admitted, and it seemed to amuse him.

"I'm sure you'd learn quickly."

Caspian could see her face fill with sudden enthusiasm. "Well, you can teach me a bit of it while you're in Anvard! How would I, as an example, say that it's raining?"

He could not help but chuckle. "Está lloviendo."

Did he even know how beautiful that sounded?

"And how could I cheer Jhara up?" she asked.

He thought it over, then he said, "El que no corre riesgos no tiene buenas historias para contar - Who doesn't take risks doesn't have good stories to tell."

How right he was. Ria nodded slowly, mesmerized, and her gaze wandered to his lips for a brief moment. But she realized how inappropriate that was, so she turned her face away immediately. Caspian could see her blush and he had to confess he would have loved to kiss her, too, he would have loved to undress her even more… But he forced himself to repress those desires. Something about her made him want to protect her, he felt the urge to look after her and he did not want to put her in a difficult situation. Then again, what was wrong with him? He usually knew well enough how to enjoy himself…

"Maybe we should go back, the rain has stopped," Ria said softly when the silence began to feel loud.

After a brief glance out the dim windows, Caspian nodded. He stood up, handed over her dress and blinked. "Not only do I open dresses well, I'm also really good at putting them back on…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> 1\. Me vuelvo loco, lo juro / I'm going crazy, I swear (it)
> 
> 2\. No hay pa' tanto / like: not a big deal


	6. The Etiquette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there,
> 
> as this year is coming to an end, let me wish you a great fresh start and a happy year 2019!
> 
> Have fun and take care :)

It was easy to decide that Henry should take care of foods and drinks at the banquet - Jhara had warmly recommended him. Aláseya could be convinced that he would be of great help in coordinating the hunting lodge's staff and it even seemed to relief her a bit.

Caspian could not stand to hear the mere word banquet anymore, but Addison had been eager to organize every little detail it entailed. Together with Aláseya, he tirelessly listed what to prepare and to take care of, and to make matters worse, he did not stop to emphasize that Caspian had to show up in a Lady's company whether he wanted it or not. There had to be an opening dance, after all.

A look out of the large windows of the study - especially the King and his Grand Vizier had spent endless days during the last weeks in there - made him realize the stormy side of autumn had arrived. It was raining heavily and the trees' colorful leaves were thrown back and forth by the cold winds.

It was the season to get lost in thoughts, but Caspian had no chance to do so as Addison and Aláseya were determined to set the banquet's program at last.

"This evening will be of great importance, the nobility expects us not to offend against etiquette in any way," Addison said, Aláseya nodded vigorously. "They love their traditions, they love dancing. And especially the opening dance, which is inescapable if we don't want to give a bad impression…"

"Yes, don't worry," Caspian said mischievously, "I've already solemnly sworn to dance in order to entertain the nobility, haven't I?"

"Yes, I know," Addison said and gulped, "but to be honest, I'm afraid you… you might leave it to chance."

Caspian could not help but smile at these words. He knew exactly what Addison and Aláseya wanted and it was fun to see them try to avoid the one question that truly troubled them.

"Well, Your Majesty…" also the Grand Duchess began, "I'm also convinced that this banquet will help our cause. I've known these noblemen my entire life - I know how petty they can be… We should try to please them for good, I'm sure it will be worth it."

"Yes, there's no other way," Addison agreed, looking at the King expectantly.

"So what exactly do you want to hear?" Caspian asked, clearly enjoying himself. "You already know I'm going to dance for the sake of it, you have my word."

Addison gave a half shrug, but he did not seem to be satisfied yet. The Grand Vizier cleared his throat and finally said, "Alright, no more waffling. What I really need to hear is… well… you can't just dance with any waitress you meet that very night - who will accompany you?"

"Now we're talking," Caspian grinned.

Both Addison and Aláseya seemed utterly relieved now that the question that had bothered them for days had finally been asked.

But the King's answer did not please them at all. "I'm sure Maía loves to dance."

"Come again?" Aláseya's jaw dropped. "You mean our housekeeper? But she… she is twice your age, she… she…"

The Grand Duchess looked so distraught that Addison simply had to put an end to her agony. "He's just joking," he assured her and was alerted as he turned to Caspian, "you still need to ask someone?"

The King shrugged, obviously amused by their reactions.

"There you have it," Addison said. "Just what I thought! He needs someone to keep him company still."

Addison winked at Aláseya, having her youngest daughter in mind, but the Grand Duchess terribly misunderstood these words.

"Me? Oh, Addison, no!" Aláseya giggled, obviously flattered.

Had Caspian not been so tired, it would have been the moment to panic. The mere thought of spending an entire evening with Aláseya by his side was alarming...

"No, no, Addison, I have a much better idea!" the Grand Duchess announced. "I'm sure Taliah would be an ideal match, Your Majesty. She looks adorable in traditional attire."

_I bet she does_ , Caspian thought. And it was exactly what had been on his mind for days. But he had reasonable concerns, even though he felt like Aláseya had only been waiting for an opportunity like this.

"You do realize what that would imply?" he lifted his head to regard her intently.

Aláseya looked at him innocently when Addison spoke up again, "Caspian, people will always gossip. But I think it might even be a good way to express our respect for Archenland - Taliah was born here."

"Yes, I agree!" Aláseya said as quickly as she could.

"Everyone will assume I have an affair with your daughter," Caspian tried to remind her. "It will be in all the papers. Wouldn't you rather spare Taliah's blushes?"

It was obvious that Aláseya had already thought this matter over, but she must have come to the conclusion that it did not bother her much.

"Oh, well, Your Majesty, it is an official and very decent occasion. And due to your stay in our hunting lodge it would go without saying that you are acquainted with my daughter. I don't see any harm in a little dancing."

_You don't see harm in deciding anything without her consent_ , Caspian had on the tip of his tongue.

But Aláseya knew well enough that he was quite interested in her daughter, and as the King remained silent a bit too long for her taste, she added with shrewdness, "Well, I see... You can't do anything with her, she's such a cheeky thing..."

"No, that's not what I meant to say at all," he was immediately hooked, "I'd be glad if she accompanied me, but perhaps we should give her a chance to think about it before we decide on her behalf..."

"Don't worry, I'll ask her right away!"

"No, please, don't", Caspian said sharply, "just leave that to me. You obviously don't mind me to ask her..."

* * *

He was reluctant to admit it, but in a way Addison and Aláseya were right. People would always gossip, that was just the way it was. Caspian's life had been commented on recklessly for as long as he could remember. When his father died, people liked to speculate about what his life would be like as an orphan. As a teen, people were sensation-seeking whenever he was spotted with a girl in his arms and a drink in his hand. It was of greatest public interest when Prunaprismia gave birth to her son and Caspian had to flee from his home despite of his claim to the throne. To this day he frequently got accused of killing his uncle because it was still a persistent rumor among some Telmarines. And after his coronation, there were no more boundaries left anyway - with great responsibility came the study of each of his steps. Whatever he did could not be kept a secret for long. But even after seven years he had not gotten entirely used to it.

The latest topic to be constantly discussed, in addition to the possible alliance with Archenland, was when Caspian would finally be willing to find himself a Queen. After all he had to fulfill his obligations - one day he would need an heir. So people kept reporting and gossiping about each and every woman he could be seen with, and though it bothered him, there was nothing he could do about it.

It was why it felt so wrong to him to even ask Taliah. She was much too young and inexperienced to be dragged into his world and he did not want to tarnish her reputation in any way. But then again, the chemistry was right. He knew that if he asked her, she would accompany him. But was she aware of the consequences? How could Caspian agree with his conscience to ask her?

Yet on the other hand, he wanted her with him. She was a little mystery to him, she attracted him so innocently and she was not even aware of it. He would have lied had he claimed that he did not want to kiss her in that pavilion, touch her, undress her… She did not wear much clothing because of the rain anyway and it was almost impossible to avoid indecent thoughts. It was quite a shame - and had it been any other woman, he would likely not have hesitated. But something was different about Taliah. She made him smile. He did not want to deprive her of her artlessness in any way, yet again he could not quite get her out of his head. And to make matters worse, he actually had to concentrate on completely different issues - political issues…

* * *

At least Aláseya was satisfied with the developments of the past couple of weeks. Sure, her eldest daughter had been injured during a riot in the city center, but she had already recovered well and lucky enough, nobody of any importance seemed to have heard of that young man called Dylan. The Grand Duchess would make sure that he, who had corrupted her daughter, could never see Jhara again, so fortunately that problem was solved once and for all. She believed nothing was in the way of a promising marriage to Margrave Diorn and she would immediately take care of the necessary wedding preparations as soon as their country was unified with Narnia.

Another happenstance seemed to develop because of Taliah. Her problem child got along with the King surprisingly well. In the last weeks, Aláseya had caught them talking over and over again and it was fairly obvious - the King that had notoriously refused to find himself a Queen for so long fancied her, at least a little bit. He had already sticked up for her on the evening of his very arrival, and that was just the beginning. She had noticed how he enjoyed her company, how he smiled at her. Bright prospects for sure, Aláseya thought. The banquet would be an excellent opportunity for the two to come closer. People would talk indeed - the King was right. But who cared? At least during the evening, nobody would dare to openly gossip. Nobody would risk offending the King, so why should she worry?

"Grand Duchess, as we were just talking about the banquet…" Addison startled her out of her reveries and tried to hide his excitement. "I want to thank you - without your eager help, none of this could ever come true. And I figured if you want, then we might… I mean, if you like, I'd be very happy about… your company."

The Grand Duchess was surprised, but obviously pleased. So far, she had been too busy to even think about a companion.

"Oh Addison, marvellous! I would very much like to accompany you!" she beamed.

* * *

Still the sisters were not clear on what to think of Margrave Diorn. Jhara had reported how bizarre his visit a few days ago had been. He had brought flowers and a novel for her, which was very amiable. But instead of talking to her, he had almost exclusively been chatting with her mother. Jhara and Diorn barely knew each other and therefore she had no expectations of carrying a profound conversation. But no conversation at all?

At least he did not seem to have heard any rumors about her affair, so no unpleasant questions had to be replied to. From that day on, however, it would be almost impossible for her to see Dylan - she could not sneak out anymore and in no way would he be able to get past the guards.

But how was she to marry when she had already lost her heart to another man? Aláseya did not seem to care about that, which was outrageous, but at least her little sister was trying to comfort her.

Physically, Jhara was doing quite well again, but she did not feel like leaving her chambers because of her broken heart. Ria had been with her all day, she had brought her breakfast and sweets and she really tried to cheer her up. But it did not escape Jhara that her little sister was pretty worn-out, too. And she bet she knew what it was all about.

After a lot of probing questions, Ria finally admitted how she had met Caspian at Henry's tavern and that they had already been spending some time together. It was obvious and disturbing - her sister adored the King.

"That's not good," Jhara sighed, staring into space.

"What do you mean?" Ria seemed puzzled.

"Not good," Jhara repeated as she began alluding to Dylan. "You will get yourself into trouble, believe me. I speak from experience."

"Oh no, come on, we were only talking…"

"Ria, you're falling for him, I can see that!" Jhara crossed her arms. "Trust me, this is the first step into a huge mess."

Ria shook her head. "No, that's not true. It's not what you think…"

Jhara stared at her in disbelief, then she grimaced as though she was in pain and said, "And now I also get why he always looks at you like that!"

Ria took notice, asking excitedly, "What? _How_ does he look?"

Jhara could hardly believe it, her eyes widened. "Don't you understand? He is the King of Narnia! Keep your hands off him and make sure he keeps his hands off you, as well!"

"We don't do anything," Ria shrugged plainly.

"Face it, you do! You, my dear, may not realize it, but you flutter your eyelashes looking as sweet as sugar and… yes, he's the King, but he's also a man! And all men are alike!"

Ria grinned. "Does that include Dylan, too?"

Jhara rolled her eyes and replied sheepishly, "Yes, he's no exception. But he's adorable and… back to the topic - I just don't want you to get hurt! Mother doesn't mind, but I do. You must take care of yourself!"

"But, Jhara, he's not a big bad wolf," Ria sighed.

"And how do you know that, Missy? Rumor has it he's a womanizer!"

"Well, no wonder - considering that face," Ria said moonily, "and you should hear him speak Spanish…"

"Ria!" her sister all but shouted. "Look, I know he's charming, but don't be so stupid! Don't put your good reputation at risk! People are talking about me, even though Dylan is of no interest to anyone. But you are about to be seduced by a King!"

"Jhara, you're doing him wrong. We were all alone in the pavilion. He could have easily taken advantage of the situation, but he didn't even try. So either he's a gentleman, or he's just not interested in me anyway."

Jhara gave a bitter laugh. "Yes, what a gentleman… He should be awarded for not stripping your clothes off at the first opportunity!"

Ria smiled innocuously and decided it would be best not to mention how blithely she sat next to him in her undergarment. After all, she knew for a fact that the situation was not what it looked like. Or was it?

Jhara blew out her cheeks and gave her a loving jab in the side. "Someone should slap you for being so naive."

"I'm not naive," Ria mumbled, though she knew she was wrong.

Jhara looked at her, clearly worried. "Just don't do anything _stupid_ …"


	7. The Banquet (1)

"Taliah?"

Her heart quickened when she heard him behind her. His voice echoed through the ivy covered arcade that led to the winter garden and she swallowed hard.

Ria had not seen the King since their visit to the pavilion, and Jhara's reproving words were still on her mind. She took a deep breath, tried not to show how nervous she was and then turned around slowly.

The King came closer and smiled that prudent smile she already knew so well. It always gave Ria the confidence to trust him. But was that naive? Was Jhara right? After talking to her sister, Ria felt found out whenever she caught herself thinking of him.

"Your Majesty!" she tried to say nonchalantly as he closed the gap on her to come along towards the winter garden.

"How are you?" he asked. "Did you become ill?"

He was clearly referring to the pavilion and their wet clothes and Ria tried to fight it, but already all her doubts vanished in his presence. She could not be so wrong about him, could she?

"No, I've been in the best of health - just like you, as it seems," she said and asked in return, "How are the preparations for the banquet going?"

"That's a good question," he said and began to smirk, "your mother and Addison are so engrossed in perfecting every detail that I'm honestly afraid of getting involved."

"My mother is very good at taking command," Ria confirmed, entering the winter garden ahead of them.

The two housekeepers, Maía and Velma, were busy clearing up the breakfast table, but when they saw the King and Ria, they paused for a moment.

"Majestad, milady, ¡qué honor!" the smaller one, Maía, welcomed them. Her long black hair pinned up in a braid and her olive skin tone were beautiful proof of her Telmarine origins. Maía was as lively as affectionate and had known the sisters since they were little girls. On one or two occasions she had helped them with words and deeds, just like a mother. (1)

"Maía, ¿cómo está? ¿Ya lista para esta noche?" Caspian asked and Ria was a little surprised to learn that the two already knew each other.

"Ni con mucho, pero así no nos aburrimos," Maía beamed and Ria did not understand a word.

Caspian chuckled, "No hay mal que por bien no venga…"

Maía nodded and, after looking at Ria and the King excitedly, she turned to her colleague, speaking with her Spanish accent, „Vamos, Velma, let's leave the two for now, we'll come back later, shall we?" (1)

"Oh no, don't bother!" Ria replied quickly, glad to understand what was being said again.

But the two women got up immediately, Maía pinched Ria on the cheek like she always did and smiled. "No, no, Riacita, we'll come back later!"

Caspian was clearly amused when he noticed Ria's puzzled face.

"Maía and I have a chat whenever we meet," he explained, "the very first thing she told me was that her family is from Telmar. She's a good-hearted soul."

Ria could not agree more, Maía was kind and empathic and more of a mother than Aláseya would ever be.

"I didn't understand a word." Ria looked up at him quite shyly. There they were again - all alone, just the two of them.

"She said they still have a lot to prepare for tonight, but that way they at least don't get bored," the King said as his mouth curved into a faint smile. Once again he could not help but notice how lovely Ria was. Scrumptious as always. The blue dress she wore was simple, nothing special, and her hair was tied up hastily yet again, but she wore it all with a complete lack of vanity and such lightheartedness that it made her a pleasure to look at.

He had been thinking about asking her out for quite some time. But which ever way Caspian looked at it, he did need someone to accompany him to the banquet anyway. So why should he not pick a woman he really liked? And Addison was surely right - as the daughter of the Grand Duchess, Ria was well known and popular with all members of the nobility. Maybe nobody would even bat an eye? Of course they would…

But the King had to admit that the mere thought of having her by his side made the prospect of the evening much less unpleasant. And he vowed to himself that he would not do anything indecent to spare her blushes, so what was all this fuss about?

He gave a start and in doing so, he could no longer see a point in addressing her formally.

"Ria, I'd like to ask you something."

The King had never said her name like that before. Her eyes lit up and in spite of the obviousness of the situation, she was completely unprepared when he continued.

"I was strongly recommended to confirm the etiquette tonight and - I cannot believe these words are coming out of my mouth - to open the dance."

He gave a half smile and it began to dawn on her what might come next.

"Do you dance? Would you accompany me tonight?"

The King of Narnia wanted her to accompany him? Was that really happening?

Ria seemed to be genuinely overwhelmed and, for a brief moment, Caspian feared she was about to run away.

Instead, however, she began to blaze as excitement spread across her face. "I think I can dance a bit… I'd very much like to accompany you! At least if you don't mind me treading on your foot now and then…"

"As much as you like," he promised.

And he could not help it, he was all too glad about her Yes. It made him feel warm inside to have her around, as strange and unusual as it was for him. He had not felt that in a long time, and it was perfectly clear to him that this was what people liked to refer to as falling in love. He did not really want that, but what could he do?

"Marvelous," he said, "now even I am officially looking forward to the banquet."

Her eyes glinted and her cheeks turned a bit pink, which gave proof of how much she wanted to spend the evening with him as well. Then a thought seemed to cross her mind, she suddenly grinned. "Addison is accompanied by my mother, did you know that?"

"No!" He could not hide his honest horror - to think of them as a duo was just too bizarre. "A match made in heaven..." ß

"Exactly my thoughts, Your Majesty."

"Oh, will you do me a favor though?"

She looked up curiously.

"No more titles. Just Caspian..."

* * *

The King preferred to wear plain linen shirts whenever he possibly could, but for the banquet that was out of the question. The heavy, dark fabrics and the precious cloak weighed a ton. Nothing he wore was comfortable, but there was no doubt about his person - he looked like a King.

He was waiting for Ria at the bottom of the staircase that led to the private chambers when he heard quick footsteps approaching him.

Margrave Diorn was very finely dressed, or at least one could see how much he had tried. For a moment, Caspian was not sure why exactly he joined him, but then he remembered. Poor Jhara was his fiancée, and Diorn wanted to wait for his companion just like him.

"Your Majesty!" the Margrave said politely as he positioned himself beside Caspian. "It's going to be an exciting evening, isn't it?"

To say the least, Caspian was not eager to start a conversation with Diorn. But he pulled himself together and tried to be polite as he answered, "Exciting indeed. Let's hope it's going to be a successful night as well."

Diorn nodded and, as expected, he proceeded to force a conversation. "So who are you waiting for?"

Even if it was a little indiscreet, it was a justified question. Caspian blew out his cheeks, then he said, "Your fiancée's sister."

"Ah, Taliah! Yes, she's such a pretty girl. But still so young, right? Young and free."

_Young and free?_ Did Diorn listen to himself?

"Almost _too_ young, isn't she?" the Margrave added boldly with a shrug.

Diorn was probably twice as old as the King, considering this in addition to the Margrave's and Jhara's upcoming wedding, his question was fairly impudent.

Caspian could not stop himself from being cynical. With a bittersweet smile he said, "Well, do you think? If you will pardon my saying so, I believe you are almost _too_ old for her sister..."

Diorn's eyes widened and it was obvious that he did not know what to reply. But he did not have to think about a comeback for too long because loud footsteps could be heard again. Cuartio and Driscol neared them cheerfully.

"See, told you we're not the only ones waiting," Driscol said and patted his laughing fellow on the back as they joined Caspian and Diorn.

Looking at the King, Driscol could no longer hide his curiosity. "Did you really ask Aláseya's youngest daughter to accompany you?"

Caspian smiled tiredly, then he nodded. That had already made the rounds amazingly fast. But what did he expect? Of course it had…

"Good decision!" Driscol grinned.

The high ceilings made every sound echoe through the stairways and the daughters of the Grand Duchess as well as the companions of the officers could not be missed as they made their way to the stairs. Clicking heels and laughter were a clear sign that they were on their way.

And when Caspian saw Taliah on the stairhead, he could not take his eyes off her. She wore a long dress of flowing, shimmering fabric, adorned with countless embroidery and silver elements. In Narnia, festive clothing was typically made of heavy fabrics cut conservatively. Couture from Archenland, however, was to an extend inspired by Calormen's exotic and airy fashion and much more flowing.

Ria smiled nervously and could almost feel Jhara watching her and the King, and each and every step they made.

Her sister's well-intentioned advices, mere warnings, were running through Ria's head, yet in a way she trusted the King completely, as stupid as it probably was.

Descending the stairs, she was almost absorbed in her reveries until Caspian reached out for her. Relief glowed in her eyes and when he took her hand, she immediately felt like he kept her grounded.

"Breathtaking," he plainly said as earnest admiration overtook his face. Before greeting the other Ladies as well, Caspian turned to Jhara. "It's good to see you feel better."

"How could I not, Your Majesty, you saved me, after all," Jhara said innocuously. Not that she did not like him. On the contrary, she owed him one and she understood Ria - he was unquestionably handsome and charismatic.

And as pleased as Jhara would have loved to be for Ria, she was mostly concerned. In contrast to her little sister, she did not wear rose-colored glasses. And she did not like what she saw. The King had an obvious soft spot for Taliah, and everybody knew that young, unmarried Kings liked to surround themselves with beautiful girls…

* * *

When they all entered the huge ballroom, they could completely overlook it. The broad staircase divided it into two levels, top and bottom, and the window front at the end of the hall, reaching up to the high ceiling, provided for a pleasant dim light directly from the park. The huge chandeliers were the crowning blow.

A bar area connected to the adjoining kitchen was already set up right behind the large, decorated table. The feast would be served, afterwards space for dancing could be made.

The entire hall was filled with hectic staff, bustling about and taking care of the finishing touches. Addison and Aláseya remained a bit in the background, Henry as coordinator of the evening was in the thick of things. But when he saw the King, he shouted in a firm voice and with a grin on his face, "All hands, stand to attention!"

And everybody did, immediately.

"Thank you, Henry," Caspian said and continued much more seriously. "Innumerable preparations were made for this evening. I know that absolutely nothing was left to chance in order for us to guarantee a smooth running. For this reason I expect utmost concentration and discipline of every person present. Our guests shall leave as satisfied as possible tonight, so take good care of them."

One could hear a pin drop and the tension in the hall was obvious. Ria had never experienced the King that authoritatively before. Suddenly she understood how he was able to reign an empire - he commanded respect.

But Caspian also noticed all those pairs of eyes that were now anxiously fixed on him. So with a smile, he added slightly softer, "If complications arise, just overcome them. I don't ask you to perform miracles. This banquet in the midst of a civil war is bizarre, which ever way you look at it. But please try your best."

Relieved faces was what he got in return.

"Aye, you've heard the King!" Henry said as he clapped his hands. His motivation was contagious. "Back to work, my friends, only half an hour left!"

Aláseya, followed closely by Addison, went straight up to the innkeeper, and the look in her eyes was an indefinable one.

"That could be interesting," Ria whispered to the King as she watched her mother.

"I'm sure you're right," Caspian grinned mischievously as he maneuvered her towards the stairs to get closer to the action.

But Aláseya's powerful voice could not be overheard anyway. "Henry, I have to admit I had my doubts, but you are of great help. I'm very pleased!"

"And I'm pleased to hear you say that, thank you, M'Lady!" Henry replied cheerfully.

Caspian and Ria exchanged surprised looks. Was Aláseya ever pleased? There was not much time to wonder though - Henry had recognized the two.

"I thought to myself what a nice couple that'd be! Why, if this isn't the enchanting Ria, accompanied by the mysterious stranger who turned out to be the King of Narnia!"

He laughed, shaking his head, and Aláseya was clearly puzzled by those words. After all, she did not have the faintest idea of how Caspian and her daughter had initially met.

"Hello, Henry," Caspian smirked.

The innkeeper stood with his hands on his hips. "The audacity, Your Majesty! You come to my shabby tavern and you don't bother to mention who you are?"

"My bad," Caspian shrugged and asked in his defense, "would it have made any difference?"

"Yeah, for sure! I wouldn't have cluelessly ranted about your ancestors!" Henry chuckled. "But us men tend to be reduced to silence when pretty young girls are around, so I guess I can't even blame you…" He winked and looked at Ria. "How are you, Missy? You look happy."

Henry had something so fatherly about him, she would have loved to fling her arms around his neck. She just nodded instead, beaming excitedly.

"Ria, what are we talking about?" the Grand Duchess began to ask a bit too friendly. Everybody knew that this was not a good sign and Caspian and Henry noticed Aláseya's suspicious look immediately.

Just when Ria and Henry wanted to explain themselves, the King replied, "Your daughter was so kind as to keep me company. You've already suggested something similar, if I'm not mistaken…"

Ria immediately knew what he was talking about and she had to keep herself from laughing. Innocently smiling he alluded to the pavilion, the abandoned, empty pavilion, far away from the hunting lodge, which Ria was to show him because of her mother's recommendation.

"Ah yes, sure, perfect!" the Grand Duchess hemmed and hawed, clearly surprised to be answered by the King.

"Excuse me!" Jhara joined them hastily, closely followed by Margrave Diorn. "Your Majesty, I should inform you that the first guests have arrived."

Caspian's expression grew serious from one moment to another. "Thank you, Jhara. If you'll excuse me…"

"It's going to be an exhausting evening for him," Diorn said, describing what was going through everyone's head as they watched him leave.

"That's right," Jhara agreed with her fiancée almost too eagerly. She was suddenly pale and looked as if she had seen a ghost. She took Ria by the hand and said, "Would you excuse us, too? We'll be right back!"

* * *

**Translations:**

**1.** **Majestad, milady, ¡qué honor! / Your Majesty, Milady, what an honor.**

**¿Cómo está? ¿Ya lista para esta noche? / like: How are you? All set for tonight?**

**Ni con mucho, pero así no nos aburrimos / like: Not at all, but at least we're not getting bored like that**

**No hay mal que por bien no venga / like: There is no evil without good / every cloud has its silver lining**

**Vamos / Let's go**


	8. The Banquet (1)

"Come again?" Ria cried when her sister had finally explained what it was all about.

Jhara's face was pale as she continued. "Don't look at me like that, I know I'm in trouble!"

The two clung to each other nervously - their situation was more than bizarre. They had sneaked into an adjoining room to discuss their options, but now they felt completely lost.

"Mother is going to kill him, Jhara!" Ria whispered, shaking her head absently.

"I know, I know… As soon as she's seen him…"

"How on earth could she not see him when he's serving the dishes to your fiancée?" Ria asked. "I mean, what was he thinking?"

Dylan, as impulsive as Ria had gotten to know him, had secretly joined the staff as helping hands for the banquet.

"He wanted to surprise me… Because we havn't seen each other in weeks now…"

It was true and Ria felt sorry for her sister. Jhara had no idea how to deal with this turn of events and she was almost trembling. What if they were discovered? What if Dylan would have to face unimaginable consequences? The sisters wanted to find a solution next door, but what could they do?

"Alright," Ria tried to stay calm, "let's think about it for a minute. Caspian will give his speech in the ballroom in a moment, that is to say that all eyes will be on him, not on the staff behind the folks, where Dylan will be. So I guess we might steal in, nobody will look at the employees' entrance in the back, and then we can just grab Dylan and - "

"No way, that won't work!" Jhara sighed. "I've already told him how crazy he is, but he won't leave, Ria."

"I will not, no!" a loud voice next to the door shouted. Dylan, dressed all in a black and white uniform, locked the door behind him and hurried to Jhara. It was easy to see how happy she was - she could not be mad at him at all. They fell into each other's arms and he kissed her longingly.

"I've missed you…" Dylan murmured. Had the situation not been so hopeless, Ria would have been incredibly happy for her sister and him. Their relationship was as romantic and perfect as it was out of bounds. And this might be their last moment together, so Ria had to come up with something to help Jhara.

As the two were about to kiss each other again, Ria took the opportunity to say goodbye. "Listen, I'll tell them that you don't feel well and that you need to rest - we'll just use your injury as an excuse…"

Jhara nodded silently, tears in her eyes, and Dylan smiled gratefully. "Fabulous idea, little sister! Nobody minds where I am anyways…"

When Ria sneaked back into the ballroom - to her great relief she managed to do so in an unnoticed and quiet way - Caspian was in the midst of his speech. He stood at the top of the banister, directly under the huge entrance gate of the room, where everyone could see him easily. He seemed as calm and composed as always. His voice was neither too loud nor too soft and judging from the faces around, everything went according to plan - the majority of the nobility seemed delighted and pleased.

"Not long before I was crowned king, I encountered one of the many faithful servants of the White Witch, loyal still, after all these years. I have not forgotten his words to this day, because they prove how cruel the reign of Jadis was. He said, 'I'm hunger. I'm thirst. Where I bite, I hold till I die, and even after death they must cut out my mouthful from my enemy's body and bury it with me. I can fast a hundred years and not die. I can lie a hundred nights on the ice and not freeze. I can drink a river of blood and not burst. Show me your enemies.'* One word, and he would have taken care of all my troubles. But at what cost? Jadis was disposed to anything to maintain her power. And since then, every other tyrant used oppression relentlessly as well. Narnia had to go through a long winter and many dark years - not least because of my own ancestors."

He paused and looked down for a brief moment. It was obvious that it was not easy for him to say these words, but that made his speech honest. As he continued, his voice was as calm as before.

"To lead Narnia and the surrounding dominions to peace was as tedious as it was difficult, but we succeeded. Without oppression. Without cruelty, without arbitrariness. And we can also rebuild Archenland, but only together. Neither I nor my government will arrogate to ignore the last will and testament of your deceased King. Without an unanimous vote, there will be no union. At the same time, however, you will please the Tis'roc of Calormen with ongoing chaos and confusion and he will not much longer hesitate to invade Anvard. Tonight could be a historic turning point. As neighboring countries, Archenland and Narnia share not only a common frontier, but also history, traditions and culture. Please let the past speak for itself and let us strengthen your country before it is too late."

As Caspian closed his speech, the genuine concern on his face was proving that he believed in every word he had said. Taliah looked around the ballroom cautiously - enthusiastic faces, self-conscious and fearful faces, some excited looks, but hardly any skepticism and reservations. Addison's plan evidently worked and the thunderous applause from the nobility stressed that very clearly now.

The King thanked the crowd and he added a little less gravely, "If I'm not mistaken, the feast will be served soon and, of course, the dance will be opened - I hope you enjoy yourselves tonight."

After these words he left his position and, as suspected, many nobles approached him eagerly for one-to-one conversations. Ria watched him from the other end of the room - Caspian was keen to listen to each concern and he seemed to be doing it really well. Better than she ever could...

She found herself thinking that she still owed her mother and Diorn an explanation because of Jhara's sudden absence, so Ria made her way to the two and Addison, as je did not leave her mother's side.

The first thing she was confronted with was Aláseya's indignation. "Taliah, there you are, did you miss the speech? As the King's companion?"

"No, I haven't, at least not entirely... Mother, Jhara doesn't feel well. Margrave, only with great regret she asked me to excuse her tonight. But I'm sure you do understand that she must avoid any strain so soon after her injury…"

Diorn nodded in dismay and his eyes widened, "Certainly, yes! Of course she must! How inattentive of me, I should have noticed…"

"Oh, no, please don't worry about it!" Ria tried to smile confidently. She had to be as convincing as possible.

Diorn seemed to think it over for a moment, then he asked, "Shouldn't I be there for her?"

"Yes, should we not look after her?" Aláseya agreed.

"That's very thoughtful of you, but please trust me, above all she needs rest now. And she urged me to tell you that you must enjoy yourselves."

"Are you sure, Taliah?" the Grand Duchess asked again, but she did not seem to have too many doubts.

"Yes, of course," Ria smiled and barely believed it worked so well.

"Alright," Aláseya said after a brief moment of hesitation, "well then, the dishes will be served any minute, I guess we should get going. Margrave, why don't you join us, Addison and you certainly have a lot to discuss!"

Addison was not too enthusiastic about this suggestion, but he was far too polite to let it show. He nodded friendly, accepting his fate.

As Aláseya followed Diorn and Addison, she briefly turned to her daughter again. "And Taliah, dear, go find the King. Do remember that he wanted you to _accompany_ him!"

Ria nodded and watched the trio as they tried to maneuver their way to the long banquet table. After a moment, she felt quite lost in the midst of the huge crowd. She tried to trace Caspian in the ballroom, but she could not see him anywhere.

Then suddenly, someone gently wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Looking for someone?" Caspian smirked. He seemed to be relieved after his successful speech and all those promising conversations, and it suited him incredibly well.

"I'm sorry I was gone," Ria tried to apologize, but Caspian only waved his hand and asked her softly, "What about fresh air?"

Ria nodded vigorously and now it was up to them to make their way through the crowd. Soon Caspian opened the glass door within the huge windows for her and they went outside.

The sudden silence was almost irritating. It was wet and cold outside, but wonderfully quiet and it felt far away from the hustle and bustle of the banquet. The leaves of the surrounding trees were gently pushed back and forth by the wind and as they did not want to remain in the sight of the windows, they went a bit further into the park.

"That's a lot better," Ria said as she took a deep breath, "and it's really going well, isn't it?"

Caspian tried not to celebrate too soon. "We'll see. But I admit the evening seems promising…"

For a moment they just stood there, side by side, silently, and it did not feel strange at all. They had known each other for only a couple of weeks, but in a way, that felt like a lifetime. The chemistry was just right between them. Caspian knew that as well as she did, but he really wanted to stick to his principles and therefore he was determined to distract from it.

He tilted his head slightly to look at her and say, "I could've sworn I saw Dylan earlier."

Her eyes widened, which was a clear telltale sign, so she looked away immediately. But it was too late, of course she could not fool him.

"So it _is_ him," Caspian said soberly.

Ria knew that the King had no intention of revealing her sister's secret, she had nothing to fear from him. But she wanted to at least explain it. She drew a little nearer and looked up to him. The sadness glowing in her eyes was heartwarming and he could hardly resist consoling her.

"He just wanted to say goodbye…"

"Stands to reason," Caspian nodded thoughtfully, "it's a shame they don't get to live the life they want."

Ria looked down. "Yes, it is. But everything's arranged, there's no way back."

The cold wind kept blowing past them and Caspian did not miss that Ria was freezing in her airy dress.

"Do cherish your freedom," he said, placing his cloak around her narrow shoulders gently. He could not take his eyes off her and, without letting go, he continued earnestly, "and do what you can to protect it."

Ria heard what he said, but she could not think clearly. His touch was as fleeting as it was intense and her gaze moved to his lips only for a split second - once again she could not help it.

"I'll try," Ria said, pulling herself together as her heart began to pound fast.

Caspian was sure that would not end well - he was horrible at distracting from their chemistry… But the way she looked at him, the way he still held her, almost in his arms, forced him to question his own rules again. Could it really be so wrong? He did not want to let Ria go, and he could keep on denying the desire to have her close for more weeks to come, but that would not make it go away. He knew well enough that she was putty in his hands, but after all, wasn't he in hers, too?

And all of a sudden, without minding the consequences, he did not even want to restrain himself anymore. He touched her cheek, pulled her closer and kissed her gently.

To feel his lips on hers was disturbingly beautiful. But when he backed away abrubtely, it almost seemed as if he was annoyed with himself.

"I'm sorry," he said, his eyes still closed. And when he looked at her again, it was Ria's turn to fail to restrain herself. She mumbled, "I'm sorry, too," and kissed him, tiptoeing, because he was much taller than her.

She kissed him lightly, shyly. Because it was her first kiss and she was not even sure whether it was a mistake or not.

But when Ria felt his mouth curve into a mischievous smile on her lips, she knew it was meant to be. Why should they ruin this moment by overthinking?

* * *

The rest of the evening went on according to plan, but now Ria had turned the King's head for good. It was fairly unusual for him to let this happen, but there was nothing he could do - even though he hated the mere thought of Aláseya beaming with joy if she ever found out.

The dishes had been served neatly decorated, people kept waxing lyrical about the excellent taste, wine and beer flowed like water and the nobility of Archenland seemed delighted. Just like Ria, and if he was not mistaking, her cheeks were still a bit red. She smiled shyly whenever their eyes met and Caspian hated to feel his puls quicken because of that.

With a conspiratorial wink, Henry had placed a glass of liquor on the table, filled to the brim. He muttered sympathetically, "I'd need that if I had to open the dance now…"

Caspian did not hesitate and gladly accepted the offer when no one watched. He just wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible and that he did, somewhat dazed. Ria did not miss her effect. Judging from the applause, everyone was more than pleased to see the King dance with a girl from their own ranks.

"What a beautiful couple!" they both kept hearing every time they spoke to someone. At times they lost sight of each other as a matter of course - Caspian still got his hands full trying to converse with the nobles in person.

"Your Majesty, I have to admit that all of this seemed like a Narnian takeover at first."

"A takeover?" Caspian repeated and lowered his voice, smiling. "Tesreau, please…"

"No, no, I understand, at least now I do," Tesreau grunted, letting his gaze wander to Ria not far away from them. "What you said tonight makes perfect sense. And being here with the Grand Duchess's daughter also proves that your intentions are candid."

Caspian nodded, trying not to show the relief these words caused.

"Taliah, come join us!" Tesreau demanded. The old nobleman had already known her as a little girl and Ria complied with his request without much hesitation. She fibbed, "Tesreau, it's nice to see you!"

The old man began to sigh thoughtfully. "It always amazes me how fast you've grown-up, you and your sister…"

"So you've known each other for quite some time?" Caspian asked rhetorically.

"Your Majesty, I still remember seeing these two young ladies in their cradles," Tesreau said proudly, obviously in the mood to chat.

"Is that so?" Caspian laughed. "Do tell me more!"

Tesreau was happy to reminisce, "Oh well, you wouldn't believe some of these stories..."

It was impossible to slow him down. He started to talk about that one Christmas when the sisters had built a huge snowman, which was, to their mother's great displeasure, decorated with her most expensive jewelry. Their father, on the other hand, had laughed his heart out at the sight of it.

"We were really young..." Ria grinned as her memory rushed back to the day.

"Indeed, you were. Your father would be very proud of you if he could be here today."

Ria smiled, genuinely moved. "Thank you. I wish he was…"

"Yes, yes, we all miss him. But he would be proud," Tesreau repeated. Then he looked directly at Caspian. "Your Majesty, forgive my curiosity and the abrupt change of subject, but I'm very interested in how many responsibilities you had in Taliah's age?"

Although this question was an unexpected one, it was not difficult to answer.

Caspian smirked. "Well, I was crowned King when I was Taliah's age, and I struggled to keep the Wild Lands of the North from rebellion, built up our navy and abolished the discriminatory jurisdiction of my ancestors…"

"Yes, that's what I'd have guessed. See, Taliah, in comparison to that you and Jhara have a carefree life."

"That's for sure," she agreed, but as Aláseya was about to join them, she added more seriously, "my mother seems to be looking for you…"

Her smile was bittersweet as the Grand Duchess approached them. "Well, Tesreau, tell me, are you and Eskright going to vote reasonably after the course of this evening?"

She built gentle pressure on purpose - the two gentlemen had refused to consider voting for Narnia without any apparent reasons for far too long.

Tesreau admitted, "I have to say the young King of Narnia was very convincing tonight. And, by the way, it's quite adorable to see him in the company of your daughter."

It was easy to tell how happy the Grand Duchess's was to hear those words.

"Isn't it?" she nodded and turned to Caspian excitedly, "Your Majesty, I think this I've been told twenty times tonight!"

Ria wanted the ground to swallow her up considering the amount of intrusiveness her mother had just displayed. But the King only laughed and, much to Aláseya's joy, he replied, "And I've certainly been told this forty times."

They conversed with many other guests and parted now and then, but as the ballroom began to empty, the way to Henry's counter was predetermined. The innkeeper was obviously pleased when Ria sat down at the bar to visit him. She looked a little tired, but happy for sure.

"Hello, dear, are you alright? Did you enjoy yourself?" Henry asked and grinned as he placed a glass right in front of her. She examined it briefly before she took a sip out of curiosity. The liquor tasted sweet, yet it burned a bit, so she answered in a rough voice, "I did, a really nice evening."

Henry winked, "Might some King be the reason? When will your wedding take place?"

Ria immediately choked on her drink, she had not seen this question coming. She looked into her glass skeptically, as though its content was to blame for her fright, but then her gaze shifted to Henry.

"Don't give me that look, that's what people keep asking me!" Henry laughed and Ria could not help but blush.

"I mean, don't get me wrong," he continued, "but it's true. You two look enchanting together."

Ria smiled, "But we are not together."

Henry leaned over to her and said teasingly, "I believe you. But no one else will from now on, Ria."

She buried her face in her hands for a brief moment, just to hide her glowing cheeks.

"I have another question," Henry went on. "Tell me, where's Jhara? Did she elope with Dylan?"

"Pipe down, Henry!" Ria giggled. She was more than happy to know that her excuse had given Jhara the opportunity to be with her lover again.

"You are clever girls, Aláseya didn't notice anything," Henry beamed.

"If she ever finds out, we're in trouble."

"Jhara should just run away with him," Henry sighed.

Ria folded her arms on the counter and nodded. "I'll suggest it to her, I promise!"

"Aye!" Henry laughed and saw Caspian approaching them. "And there comes your King!"

Caspian sat down next to Ria with a loud sigh.

"We came full circle," he smiled wearily, alluding to their usual seating arrangement.

Henry did not have to ask whether Caspian wanted something or not, he just poured him a drink. "So, how was your evening?"

"Can't complain," Caspian said and took a sip, "the vote worries me a little less."

Henry raised his own glass. "Cheers to that!" He grinned and asked, "And what are you two lovebirds going to do now?"

* * *

***Quote from the movie Prince Caspian, Disney, 2008**


End file.
